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Finally!! Gophers Season Opener Is Here As Minnesota Hosts Eastern Illinois Thursday Night
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/412994?referrer_id=388419
Minnesota opens the 2014 football season against Eastern Illinois at home on Thursday night. The Panthers finished 8-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 12-2 overall and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS playoffs, losing to Towson 49-39 last year. Their only other loss was to Jerry Kill's former team, Northern Illinois, 43-39 on the road. They showed that they are not afraid of FBS teams as they whipped san Diego State in last year's season opener 40-19 on the road.
Eastern Illinois will have a much different look this season on the sideline and the field. They lost head coach Dino Babers to Bowling Green after the Panthers' record-breaking offensive season. The Panthers averaged 48.2 points and 589.5 yards per game last year. Babers was replaced by Kim Dameron, a long-time defensive coordinator most recently at Louisiana Tech. Dameron served as Eastern Illinois' defensive coordinator in 2000.
The Panthers are ranked No. 11 in the preseason FCS Coaches poll. Ohio Valley Conference members Jacksonville State (No. 8) and Tennessee State (No. 17) were also ranked in the preseason top 25, making it the first time that three OVC teams have started the year in the preseason top 25.
The other key losses was the Panthers' record-setting All-American passing and receiving duo. Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who passed for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns and won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in FCS. Garoppolo was a second round draft pick by New England. His key weapon was wide receiver Erik Lora, who was a first-team All-Americans for the second consecutive year. Lora, who had 123 catches for 1,544 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior, is currently in the Minnesota Viking training camp.
The biggest question for the Panthers will be who will replace Garoppolo. Redshirt senior Andrew Manley is a name that Gopher fans are familiar with. Manley started the first three games of the 2011 season before suffering a season ending injury. He led New Mexico State to its first ever first win over a Big Ten opponent with a 28-21 victory against Minnesota as he passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-31 passing against the Golden Gophers. He had 362 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio.
Manley, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder, started all 12 games in 2012 for the Aggies, passing for 2,764 yards and 18 touchdowns as he completed on 53.9 percent of his passes.
Manley transferred to Eastern Illinois and got into five games completing two of seven passes for 8 yards last season.
His main competition is junior Jalen Whitlow, who transferred to the Panthers after starting eight games for Kentucky last year. He completed 61.6% of his passes going 98-for-159 for 1,035 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions last year for Kentucky, including a 225-yard game against Southeastern Conference East champion Missouri. He also ran for six touchdowns, including an 88-yarder against Alabama State for the second longest TD run in Kentucky history. Whitlow had 457 yards on 107 carries.
However, the 6-foot-2, 217-pound Whitlow decided to transfer after new Kentucky coach Mark Stoopes wanted to move him to wide receiver.
Whoever wins the starting signal caller spot will be throwing to senior Adam Drake, EIU's top returning receiver. He was a Football Championship Subdivision third-team All-American after going from five receptions as a sophomore to 85 catches for 1,305 yards, both ranking third on EIU's season record list, and 13 touchdowns the fourth most by a Panther receiver as junior. The 6-foot-2, 199-pounder finished third in the OVC and eighth among the nation's FCS receivers in catches a year ago.
Another key returnee is redshirt junior running back Shepard Little, who is a third team preseason All-American by Sports Network at running back. Little started just two of 14 games, but rushed for 1,551 yards and 7.1 yards per carry and ranked 7th in the NCAA in total rushing yards.
Little was named to the College Football Performance Awards Watch List for kick returners. Little was named to the CFPA Watch List for running backs earlier this summer and is one of twenty players on the preseason list for the Walter Payton Award.
The other key for the Panthers will be an improved defense. Their new head coach has a defensive background for a team that allowed 22.8 points and permitted 30 or more points four times.
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/412994?referrer_id=388419
Minnesota opens the 2014 football season against Eastern Illinois at home on Thursday night. The Panthers finished 8-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 12-2 overall and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS playoffs, losing to Towson 49-39 last year. Their only other loss was to Jerry Kill's former team, Northern Illinois, 43-39 on the road. They showed that they are not afraid of FBS teams as they whipped san Diego State in last year's season opener 40-19 on the road.
Eastern Illinois will have a much different look this season on the sideline and the field. They lost head coach Dino Babers to Bowling Green after the Panthers' record-breaking offensive season. The Panthers averaged 48.2 points and 589.5 yards per game last year. Babers was replaced by Kim Dameron, a long-time defensive coordinator most recently at Louisiana Tech. Dameron served as Eastern Illinois' defensive coordinator in 2000.
The Panthers are ranked No. 11 in the preseason FCS Coaches poll. Ohio Valley Conference members Jacksonville State (No. 8) and Tennessee State (No. 17) were also ranked in the preseason top 25, making it the first time that three OVC teams have started the year in the preseason top 25.
The other key losses was the Panthers' record-setting All-American passing and receiving duo. Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who passed for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns and won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in FCS. Garoppolo was a second round draft pick by New England. His key weapon was wide receiver Erik Lora, who was a first-team All-Americans for the second consecutive year. Lora, who had 123 catches for 1,544 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior, is currently in the Minnesota Viking training camp.
The biggest question for the Panthers will be who will replace Garoppolo. Redshirt senior Andrew Manley is a name that Gopher fans are familiar with. Manley started the first three games of the 2011 season before suffering a season ending injury. He led New Mexico State to its first ever first win over a Big Ten opponent with a 28-21 victory against Minnesota as he passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-31 passing against the Golden Gophers. He had 362 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio.
Manley, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder, started all 12 games in 2012 for the Aggies, passing for 2,764 yards and 18 touchdowns as he completed on 53.9 percent of his passes.
Manley transferred to Eastern Illinois and got into five games completing two of seven passes for 8 yards last season.
His main competition is junior Jalen Whitlow, who transferred to the Panthers after starting eight games for Kentucky last year. He completed 61.6% of his passes going 98-for-159 for 1,035 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions last year for Kentucky, including a 225-yard game against Southeastern Conference East champion Missouri. He also ran for six touchdowns, including an 88-yarder against Alabama State for the second longest TD run in Kentucky history. Whitlow had 457 yards on 107 carries.
However, the 6-foot-2, 217-pound Whitlow decided to transfer after new Kentucky coach Mark Stoopes wanted to move him to wide receiver.
Whoever wins the starting signal caller spot will be throwing to senior Adam Drake, EIU's top returning receiver. He was a Football Championship Subdivision third-team All-American after going from five receptions as a sophomore to 85 catches for 1,305 yards, both ranking third on EIU's season record list, and 13 touchdowns the fourth most by a Panther receiver as junior. The 6-foot-2, 199-pounder finished third in the OVC and eighth among the nation's FCS receivers in catches a year ago.
Another key returnee is redshirt junior running back Shepard Little, who is a third team preseason All-American by Sports Network at running back. Little started just two of 14 games, but rushed for 1,551 yards and 7.1 yards per carry and ranked 7th in the NCAA in total rushing yards.
Little was named to the College Football Performance Awards Watch List for kick returners. Little was named to the CFPA Watch List for running backs earlier this summer and is one of twenty players on the preseason list for the Walter Payton Award.
The other key for the Panthers will be an improved defense. Their new head coach has a defensive background for a team that allowed 22.8 points and permitted 30 or more points four times.
